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Heading into surgery with smiles

It all started when Kristen Miller, RN, BSN, perioperative manager, Parkview Regional Medical North Surgery, decided to do a little light reading.

“I saw an article in one of the OR magazines about another facility that had a ‘Drive Yourself to Surgery’ program,” Kristen said. Turns out, she wasn’t the only one who landed on the piece. Marceline Rogers, VP, Surgical Services, saw it as well. “She loved it, too, and mentioned we should ask the Parkview Foundation for a grant to bring the program to our system.”

The Foundation agreed, and the search began for the perfect set of wheels. Dennis Warner, admin director, PeriOperative and Endo Services, loved the fact that the picture in the magazine was that of a Ford F-150, the very model he drives. And so, Kristen began her hunt for a Fisher Price Powerwheels truck. “It took forever, but I finally found one.”

Parkview does pediatric dental cases, ENT and general cases at Parkview Regional Medical Center, so the team sees a fair amount of little ones.

“We hope this means the children will be happier and have less anxiety when it is time to leave their parents and go to the OR,” Kristen said. “It makes the parents feel better that their child is smiling when they go back as well. Overall it reduces stress for everyone.”

These small programs that make a huge difference are often made possible by the generosity of people in our community. “It’s so great to see these adorable grins thanks to donor dollars to the Parkview Foundation,” Erin Buchs, communication and development specialist, Parkview Foundation, said. “While it’s never easy to see a child go in for a procedure, it helps when they can experience a bit of joy in the process.”

To learn more about how you can donate to the Parkview Foundation and contribute to programs like Drive Yourself to Surgery, visit parkviewfoundations.org.